Religion Roundup from the Eyewitness News Newsroom

HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL-FAITH Christians argue morality of health care overhaul

WASHINGTON
Christians fighting the proposed health care overhaul for fear that it will result in federal funding for abortion -- a concern cited by the nation's Catholic Bishops.

Activists who demonstrated outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday also objected to government assuming too much power over the nation's health care system. Protester Deborah Steinmetz, the widow of a Vietnam veteran, said, "No king but King Jesus -- our government is too big."

Other Christian groups that favor the proposed overhaul argue that it's immoral for millions of Americans to be without health care.

In a nationwide webcast last night, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association urged Christians to pray and contact members of Congress before a vote that's expected later this week.

CENSUS-IMMIGRATION Latino clergy offer immigrants conflicting census advice

SACRAMENTO, Calif.
Undocumented immigrants are getting conflicting advice from church leaders on whether to fill out U.S. Census forms.

The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders has urged them to boycott the census until comprehensive immigration reform is passed.

But the Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, says that would reinforce the perception that immigrants don't want to become Americans.

Clergy advocating a boycott don't trust government assurances that census information won't be used to prosecute undocumented immigrants, but Rodriguez and other church leaders insist there's nothing to fear.

He says a full count will ensure that Latino communities get their share of government services.

development" The Reverend Samuel Rodriguez

SACRAMENTO, Calif.
The Reverend Samuel Rodriguez says it would be foolish for undocumented immigrants to boycott the U.S. Census.

SALVATION ARMY SHOOTING Ark. teen arrested in fatal Salvation Army shooting

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
An Arkansas teenager has been arrested in the death of a Salvation Army major who was gunned down in front of his three young children outside the charity on Christmas Eve.

North Little Rock police said robbery was the motive but released few other details about 19-year-old Laquan Fitzpatrick, who was arrested on suspicion of capital murder at a home in eastern Arkansas.

Philip Wise, a Salvation Army major, was gunned down as he returned to the North Little Rock center to file paperwork after dropping off two bell ringers on the final day of the Salvation Army's kettle drive.

Wise had worked for three years in a low-income neighborhood troubled by gangs and drugs. He ran youth programs, a food pantry and church services.

Wise's widow, Cindy, said he was a "humble man" and a loving husband, father and pastor.

CATHOLICS-GAY PARENTS Lesbian parents 'hurt' by Catholic school barring kids' re-enrollment

BOULDER, Colo.
The lesbian parents of two young children barred from re-enrolling at a Roman Catholic school say they "do not think that this reflects what Jesus would have done."

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has said the decision by the Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Boulder conforms with church teachings.

On Monday, a written statement by the couple was read at a community forum hosted by Boulder Pride.

The couple said they don't expect the school to modify its teachings but also said they believe it's wrong to punish children for who their parents are.

In a sermon posted on his blog, the parish priest, Father William Breslin, said he wanted to avoid a situation in which the children were taught in school that their parents' relationship was wrong.

STRANDED DRIVER-MONTANA Montana man spends 4 days stuck in car in snowbank

HELENA, Mont.
A 67-year-old musician from Montana who spent four days in his car stuck on a remote mountain road says he wrote a goodbye letter and was preparing for death when he was rescued.

Louis Rogers says he told his loved ones "to have faith in the Lord."

Rogers says his car got stuck in a snowbank in a remote area where there was no cell phone service.

Rogers has health issues, so he decided to wait for help. He melted snow to drink and occasionally turned the car on to run the heater at night.

Other than a wolf, he didn't see another living soul. Rogers said he spent his time praying and thinking about the mistakes he'd made in his life, but his thoughts kept going back to the wolf.

He recalled that "the Indians say if a man ever gets in trouble, that is your guardian angel and he's there to make sure he watches you until you get out of danger."

NIGERIA-VIOLENCE Internet video: Muslims must rise up in Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria
A video posted on a militant Web site calls for Muslims in Nigeria to use "the sword and the spear" against Nigerian Christians, according to a translation released by a U.S. group that monitors militant sites.

The video on a Web site sympathetic to al-Qaida comes in the wake of religious massacres in central Nigeria. It shows graphic images of those killed as a narrator tells viewers "the solution is jihad in the cause of Allah," according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group.

The release of the 10-minute video comes after more than 200 people -- mostly Christians -- died last week in massacres in villages outside of the central Nigerian city of Jos. More than 300 people -- mostly Muslims -- died in January during rioting in the same region.

BRITAIN-POPE'S VISIT Pope to visit England, Scotland in September

LONDON
British officials say Pope Benedict will visit Scotland and England in September in a four-day visit combining preaching and diplomacy.

Benedict's meeting with Queen Elizabeth will be an encounter between two heads of state as well as two heads of churches. The Vatican is a state, and the queen is supreme governor of the Church of England.

In London, the pope also will give a speech to leaders of civil society, join leaders of other churches for an ecumenical service at Westminster Abbey and call on Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who heads the world Anglican Communion.

Benedict also will preside at the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Coventry and conduct an outdoor Mass in Glasgow, Scotland.

VATICAN-LEGIONAIRES SCANDAL Vatican completes probe of Legionaries of Christ

VATICAN CITY
Vatican investigators have completed their probe into the Legionaries of Christ, the conservative order that fell into scandal after it revealed that its founder had fathered a child and had molested seminarians.

The Vatican says its five investigators are to report back to Rome this week about their study of the Legionaries' 120 seminaries, schools and communities around the globe.

Pope Benedict ordered the probe last year after the order acknowledged that its late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel of Mexico, had fathered a daughter and had sexually abused seminarians. Since then, a Mexican woman has come forward saying she had a lengthy relationship with Maciel, that he fathered her two sons, adopted a third and sexually abused two of them.

SAINT STATUE STOLEN Bronze statue stolen from church found in garage

SALT LAKE CITY
A bronze statue of St. Ambrose stolen from a Catholic church in Salt Lake City has been recovered.

The statue now has a Superman-like "S" drawn in marker on the chest and a scratch on the nose.

Police recovered the statue Monday after a man called St. Ambrose Catholic Church asking how much the parish was willing to pay as a reward. Police were able to track the call and found the statue in a garage in suburban Midvale.

A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property.

The statue was taken from the church late Friday or early Saturday.

DALLAS-GUARD FIRED Dallas County jail guard fired over remarks about gays, religion

DALLAS
A recently fired Dallas County jail guard who was previously disciplined for making offensive remarks says his free speech rights have been violated.

A sheriff's department review concluded that 59-year-old Stephen Johnson persisted in giving his religious opinions and speaking out against homosexuality.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Johnson was fired Jan. 20 for conduct unbecoming an officer and for lying to internal affairs. A sheriff's department report indicates Johnson in October interrupted a private conversation among jail staff and said gays should be annihilated.

Johnson said Monday that he was fired because he "hurt someone else's feelings." He says his free speech rights were violated, but he will not appeal.